How learned song is maintained over the course of a male zebra finch's life is not well known. In the female, it is not clear whether perception of song is innate or results from experience. Recent studies have revealed a forebrain area in males and females that responds only to biologically relevant song and that shows coincident activity with the hippocampus (HP), an area well documented in the consolidation of memory in mammals. The studies proposed here will test the hypothesis that the HP, through reciprocal connections with perceptual/auditory forebrain areas, is important for the consolidation, maintenance and/or retrieval of song templates. First, the afferent and efferent connectivity of the HP will be investigated to determine if feedback loops exist between it and forebrain areas. Second, to ascertain whether the HP is important for song memory maintenance or retrieval in adult male and female zebra finches and/or song consolidation in juvenile males, the HP will be lesioned and effects on song production (males) and perception (males and females) will be observed. Finally, patterns of neural activity will be assessed at different points in development to determine when structures that show conspecific song-induced activity in the adult become active in the perceptual circuit. The proposed work will increase the understanding of the neural mechanisms regulating development of learned vocalizations and their perceptions, thus addressing both behavioral and cognitive processes required for proper functioning of the communication system. [unreadable] [unreadable]